Inside Scope of the Latest Stories In MMA

Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact sport that is often held in a caged arena. The fighters have the flexibility to employ various fighting strategies to overpower their opponent, and this can include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Muay Thai, judo, wrestling, or boxing, to name a few. One of the most popular promotion companies for MMA is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are the ones bringing the sport to a wider range of audiences all around the globe, including Abu Dhabi, which they are hoping to become the new fighting capital. If you are keen on knowing some of the latest stories in MMA, then read on below.

Fight Island in Abu Dhabi is now being dubbed as the new fight capital of the world. This can be attributed to the fact that UFC is beginning to stage more big title fights in the region. For this reason, it can be deemed that Las Vegas no longer holds the title, but it can still acquire back its position as soon as the effects of the coronavirus ease up. But for now, people can expect the middleweight champion Israel Adesanya as well as the women's strawweight champion Weili Zhang to have their matches held in the Fight Island, and not in the Sin City.

Deiveson Figueiredo came out as a big winner in his recently concluded match with Joseph Benavidez, wherein he was successful in putting the latter to sleep through his rear-naked choke fight moves. Before this, he already knocked down Benavidez three times in the first round. In the end, the Brazilian bomber went home $50000 richer and of course, with a shiny new belt holding the flyweight champion title.

MMA is not only for men or women, but it accommodates people of all gender preferences. In line with this, the first MMA transgender athlete who came out in the open was Fallon Fox way back in 2013, and this caused quite a stir in the MMA world. The reason behind this was that although born as a man, Fox competed with female athletes in the caged arena. Because of this, there were known sports personalities who openly opposed that this should continue, such as Joe Rogan and Ronda Rousey. Fox is now retired, and throughout her career, she never really made it to compete in UFC, and even after coming out, the future is still not that clear for transgenders who are keen on delving into MMA.

MMA fighters positive for COVID-19

No one is immune to the effect brought about by the global pandemic. Even MMA fighters have acquired COVID-19, disrupting the matches that have been previously set. For one, Viviane Araujo needed to step out of a scheduled fight with Jennifer Maia after she tested positive for COVID-19. She was devastated because, according to her, she took all the necessary precautions. Joanne Calderwood stepped into her place instead since her fight against Valentina Shevchenko did not push through because the flyweight champion suffered a leg injury.

Deiveson Figueiredo also tested positive for the virus just a week before he was scheduled to fight Joseph Benavidez. However, he already tested positive months prior, such that his most recent test was considered as a false positive. On the other hand, Ronaldo Souza and Gilbert Burns may not be as lucky as they are out of UFC after being tested positive for the virus.

Even the trainers of the fighters are not free from the risk of contracting the virus, such that the father of MMA star Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is also his trainer, died of COVID-19. Because of this, Daniel Cormier, who is Nurmagomedov's friend and teammate, is unsure about his friend's future in MMA since his father meant a lot to him. In line with this, you can expect no fights for Nurmagomedov for this year but hope that he will bounce back in the succeeding year after taking the time that he needs to heal.

Truly, the virus has brought forth mishap, especially in the world of contact sports and while there are still fights that are pushing through, it is no longer the same as it used to before this unfortunate circumstance that plagued the globe.

In conclusion, MMA is a globally renowned sport that has garnered an expanded range of audiences because of UFC. The stories highlighted above are only some of the latest news about this one of a kind sport, and various other stories are already inculcated in the history of MMA. Rest assured that you will be able to get your fill of the latest happenings about MMA through various online channels that are readily accessible in this modern-day age.